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ARTICLE · 28 JANUARY 2014

BLS Report Indicates Slight Increase In Private Sector Unionization

Littler Mendelson
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While the overall percentage of union membership in the U.S. workforce remained unchanged at 11.3% in 2013, there was a slight increase in the number of unionized workers in the private sector for the first time since 2009, according to the new Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual report.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Michael Lotito
Michael Lotito
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While the overall percentage of union membership in the U.S. workforce remained unchanged at 11.3% in 2013, there was a slight increase in the number of unionized workers in the private sector for the first time since 2009, according to the new Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual report. On the whole, 16 million U.S. workers were represented by unions in 2013.  This total includes workers who are union members (14.5 million) and those who are not union members, but whose jobs are covered by a union contract (1.5 million).  The percentage of private sector workers belonging to a union rose from 6.6% in 2012 to 6.7% in 2013. Total private sector jobs covered by union contracts similarly increased from 7.3% to 7.5%. 

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